Seat mounting for theater chairs or the like



Jan. 15, 19 2 w. E. NORDMARK SEAT MOUNTING FOR THEATER CHAIRS OR THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 6, 1947 3 m 0 m 25 w p b M m? M N fir H w a V. .5. .H ll 2 5 7 W74. fiW .m I w m a m r g H A.

Jan. 15, 1952 w NQRDMARK 2,582,599

SEAT MOUNTING FOR THEATER CHAIRS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 6, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet i v 10 J Ill LL11 VIII- awe/WM l- 1952 w. E. NORDMARK 5 5 SEAT MOUNTING FOR THEATER CHAIRS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 6, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 17 wife!" E. N

W. E. NORDMARK Jan. 15, 1952 SEAT MOUNTING FOR THEATER CHAIRS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 6, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gwue/wbom nillier E. NOZC/marli Patented Jan. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES :PATFENT OFFICE SEAT 'MOUNTIN G FOR THEATER CHAIRS ORTHE LIKE Walter E. Nordmark, Grand Rapids, Mich, as-

signor to vAmerican Seating Con pany, Grand Rapids, iMich., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 6, 1941,?SerialNo.166500 (c1. Isa-s6") .-9 Claims. 1

;present :invention relates to seat :mount- .Zings and more particularly to :the moimtingsior the -seats of ehai-rs adapted for installation in (rows in theaters, auditoriums and ;the.like.

'Ilh'e .;Drimary objects of the invention are to provide-improved means or mounting-"seats :of the vtheater type between-spaced, upright, xchairsupporting standards; to -provide improved seat mounting for vturnablyconnecting thesseat 'to'zthe vstandardsso'that lit-may be lowered to a nearly horizontalmosition .ior occupancy or raised to a "nearly vertical position as when the occupant rises .to ,permitothers to ,pass .in .iront ,of him; to. provide such seat mountings whereby thesrseat :is' normally causedtmassumean intermediatenr neutral position between itsIully. raised and :iully glowered positions, so that all of the seats in an unoccupied. theater will normally automatii'cally assume the same angular positioniandrthus mesentgauniformand attractiveanpearance; to

,inrovidetsuch seatmountingscwhieh are-adaptable 'iim'znse in. either straight or, curved :rows ofichairs, 'i and w hiohinolude compensatingmeans 'iorzslijght errorsin the positions zflf' ilihb supporting stand- :to provider-novel :stopmeans :for npositively stopping the. raising and lowering moyementsm st-heiseat atnredeterminedilimits; totnrovide seat unomitmgs idihe wartsof Wh-lCh are economical-Itomanufacture andziassemblezandtwhich, 'when-ias- "rambled in -22, ohair :structure; Jere readily 310C687 :s'ible for-replacement or repair; undinsgeneral ita proyide -;a ;chair structure which mayireadily Jae-installed sin 'a .theater -:orrthe like, wwhichis @sturdywin' construction :andefiective :use, and whidh'isiattractivefiirappearance. I -,GIllusju'iative:embodiments or the invention are .iihpwnziin the iaccompanyingndrawings, wherein: sis asiront elevationalwiew lof a z'chair infer-he etheater-rtyne installed between :gsupporting standards each of which also supports :one aside lndiacentmhairfin arrow thereof, the .8 d iwcent chairs:iheingfshownfatragmentarily;

izfigure aisea sectionalwiewsofithe :sametaken on time -2--?2 'of1-Figu1-'e 211, lithe-1seat;:being :s'hown :momnal, neutral :position full lines, in Y iitsilowered vpositiorr'ffor occupancylin'rdotted lines, dtsrfullysraised mosition in broken 'zlinesi; israam enlargedfiragmentary, vertical qjectional of la vsunnon ing istandardrrseats stunner-ted thereby, land the seat mountings .i-by uneans :91? which the seatsaare connected .to the "standards, .thesection .being taken tonal-inc 3-3 of .il ligureei, :and thesseat heing shown in its lowered positioni'or-occupancy;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view-of thesametaken on line 4-4 of Figure 3, the showing here being of adjacent seats installed ina curvedrow Figure 5, is ,a fragmentary, sectional view through a seat foundation, taken on line T5'5 {of Figure 3 and illustrating the seats normal, neutral position intermediate its extreme lowered and raisedpositions;

Figure 6 is layiew similar to Figure 5 illustrating the seatfs extreme raisedposition;

- Eigure 7 is :a yiew similar ;to Figures and "6 illustrating the seats extreme lowered position for-occupancy; and

c Figurefilis 1a iragmentary, horizontalsectional view similar to Figure 4 but showing a modified :form oithe structure.

Referring now inde'tail to these drawings, a row of seating best illustrated in Fig re mounted upon spaced, vuxzirig'ht chair-supporting standards in which .arepre-installed in a "theater or the like and upon which are subsequently .mounted chair hacks H and their seats 12. The standards -10 are of the t p known as middle standards, reach; serving-asa commonsupport for the adjacent sidesof adjoining chairs in .a row "and each being provided with a conventional arm .rest .13. vIn the :present construction, the chair backs jl'l ,areshown mounted on fback plates "I54 WhlOhg-fllffi secured. in any conventional manner, .las-lhyfbolts orr'lveis [5,, to apair oi the stand- JEach chair seat 712 comprises a seat cushion 1L8 .removably mounted in conventional ;manner upon a sheet metalseati'oundation or"s eat'pan J1, and lthe essence of the present 'inventionresides in itheseat mounting connections between theaseat pan 5|] [and the supporting standards In whereby the following results are accomplished: y i

ll. Asimport is providedjfor the weight of the seat and the occupant;

r ,2. A :pivot is provided about which the seat turnstoraisediand loweredjpositions;

.3. The seat is vnormallymaintainedflini'a neultral position between its .raisedand lowered posithe adjacent sides of 22 are slightly longer than the vertical metal, and each standard is provided with a horizontal web portion 20 having a vertical opening 2| therein. Seat brackets 22 comprise vertical mounting portions 23 and horizontal portions 24 with horizontally elongated vertical openings 25 therein. The seat brackets 22 for adjoining'chairs (see FIgui'e are secured to their common supporting standard ID as by means of a serted upwardly through the opening 2| in the standards web portion 28 and through the openings 25 in a pair of seat brackets 22, a nut 21 being provided on the upper end of bolt 26 for securing the brackets to the standards, and the brackets being secured in required horizontally adjusted position and in required angularly' adpin or bolt 28 injusted position about the axis or the pin or bolt 26. It will be seen that the horizontal portions 24 of the left hand seat brackets 22 are at a slightly higher levelthan the horizontal portions of the right hand seat brackets 22, and that the vertical portions 23 of the left hand seat brackets portions of the right hand brackets. By this formation of the seat brackets the hereinafter described "connections between the seat pans and the seat brackets are all at the same level.

Each seat .pan [1 is turnably journalled on a pair of mutually inwardly extending annular trunnions 28 secured as by riveting at 29 to the vertical portions 23 of seat brackets 22 on an adjacent pair of standards I8. Preferably oilless bearings 30 are interposed between the trunnions 28 and the circular openings through the side walls 3| of the seat pan through which openings .the.trunnions 28 extend. The side walls 3| of the seat pan are also provided with arcuate openings or slots 32 concentric with the trunnions 28, through which slots pass mutually inwardly extending studs 33 riveted at 34 to the seat brackets 22 on said adjacent pair of standards I0. Bein- Fruiting plates 35 secured as by welding to the inner surfaces of the seat pans side walls 3|,

vhave similar arcuate slots 36 which register with the slots 32 in said side walls' 3l. These rein- .forcing plates also have inwardly pressed pockets 3! at the'upper ends of the slots 36, into which pockets are inserted rubbercushion bumpers 38. It will be seen that when the seat is in its lowered position for occupancy (see Figure '7) therubber cushion bumpers 38 rest on the studs 33, said Lstuds thusserving as stops for the lowering movement of the chair sea-t and as supports forthe seat when occupied. The studs 33 alsoengage the opposite ends of the slots 36" to limit the upward swinging movement of the seat from; its neutral position shown in Figure 5 to its extreme raised position shown in Figure 6. v

A coil spring 40 surrounds each trunnio'nf28, and an annular fiber bushing 4| is desirably interposed between said spring 40 and its trunnion 28. This coiltspring 48 has an outer projecting end portion 42 which in the'neutral position of the chair seat shown in Figure 5 bears against theunderside of the stud 33, and an inner projecting end portion 43 which in said neutral position of the chair. seat bears against the upperside ofsaid stud 33. The projecting end portions 42 and 43 of the spring 48 are desirably rubber-sheathed as shown "to insure quietness'in the operation of the chair seat, and the spring 40 is wound prior to assembly so that these end portions 42 and 43 normally bear against the stud 33 as shown in Figure 5.

A member 44 has'awertical portion 45 surspring '40f-and which has afdi'mension in common with the diameter "of the stud '33 so that when the seat is in its neutral position shown in Figure 5 the parallel projecting ends 42 and 43 of the coil spring 40 contact both the arm 48 and the stud 33. The arm 48 being thus normally confined between the springs ends 42 and 43 and being rigidly connected to the seat pan I], the seat is normally maintained at the predetermined angle illustrated in Figure 5, and all of. the seats in -a.-row are thus maintained at a uniform angle of inclination when unoccupied, notwithstanding differences in the amounts of compression on the coil springs 40.

When the seat is occupied and thus turned by the-weight of the occupant from its position illustrated in'Figure 5 to its position illustrated in Figure 7, the arm 48 carries the springs inner end portion 42 downwardly out of engagement with the stud 33. Thereafter when the occupant rises from the seat, the springs unwinding force exerted through its end 42 on the arm 48 returns the seat to its normal, neutral position. [Similarly; when the occupant "rises and resses the seat from its neutral position illustrated in Figure 5 to its extreme raised position illustrated in .Figure 6, in order to permit other theater patrons and removably securedin position-by meansof split'rmgs 5| snapped into annular grooves in the trunnion and stud. The tie-bar 50 adds rigidity to the structure, and has the advantage that it can readily be removed to permit disas' sembly of the seat mountings for the're'paiifo'i' replacement of parts.

In the modification of the invention s hown in Figure 8, the trunnion 28 and stud 33 ar'e' the legs of an integral U-shaped member 55, said lgs being connected at their inner ends by the 'bight' portion 56 of the U-shaped member. This'construction also'possesses rigidity and ha's the vantage that a unitary member provides both thetrunnion and the stud elements ofthe strucure.- e ,;I

In either of-rthe constructions sho'wr'uthe "seatmountings, including the brackets 23, are'preferably assembled to the seats at the factory'and the trunnions 28 or 28 are prevented from with zdrawal outwardly through the bearing openings and arcuate slots in the side walls of' the-'seat pan by means of the'tie-bars '58 or Figures 3-7- or the bi'ght 56'o'f Figure 8; The installation comprises pre-installing the standards in" a theater, and thereafter mountingthejbacks on the standards as shown, and mounting thes'eats 'on the standards in properly adjusted positions by the simple expedient of inserting'the bolts 26 and applying the nuts 21 ashereinbefore described.'-'

while but two specifiolembodiments'lof the in.- JED-$101k have .-been =herein shown :and. described,

tit -will be understoodi-thatgznumerous details of Saidfilflt; and adapted -.tov engage :the ends of the slot ior limiting swinging movements of the seat on the trunnions to positions wherein the seatf-isloweredtfor occupancy or raised for nonoccupancy; a coil spring surrounding one of said trunnions and having projecting 1 end portions normally pressing against .said stud on .,opposite sides thereof; an arm on the. seatextending inwardly between theprojecting end portions of said coil spring'and normally confined therebeg tweenqiior maintaining 1311815831? in a neutral'posi- 'tion intermediate its lowered andraised positions, isaid 'tsprings end portions being respectively ayieldable :to move with said arm-during theire- :spective manual raising and lowering movements of-the seat and being respectivelyadaptedto press against said arm on opposite sides thereofior returningthe arm and theseattc theirneutral 2. In a chair structure: a pair of standards; a seat bracket mounted on each standard; trunnions on said brackets extending mutually inwardly: a seat having its opposite side walls journalled on said trunnions and said side wallshaving aligned arcuate slots concentric with said trunnions: studs on said brackets extending mutually inwardly through said slots and adapted to engage the ends of the slots for limiting swinging movements of the seat on the trunnions to positions wherein the seat is lowered for 00- cupancy or raised for non-occupancy; coil springs surrounding said trunnions each having projecting end portions normally pressing against the adjacent stud on opposite sides thereof; arms on the seat extending inwardly between the projecting end portions of said coil springs respectively and normally confined therebetween for maintaining the seat in a neutral position intermediate its lowered and raised positions, each springs end portions being respectively yieldable to move with the adjacent arm during the respective manual raising and lowering movements of the seat and being respectively adapted to press against said arm on opposite sides thereof for returning the arm and the seat. to their neutral positions.

3. In a chair structure: a pair of standards; a seat bracket mounted on each standard; trunnions on said brackets extending mutually inwardly; a seat having its opposite side walls journalled on said trunnions and one of said side Walls having a slot therethrough; a stud on one of said brackets extending inwardly through said slot; and adapted to engage the ends of the slot for limiting swinging movements of the seat on the trunnions to positions wherein the seat is lowered for occupancy or raised for non-occupancy; a coil spring surrounding one of said trunnions and having projecting end portions normally pressing against said stud on opposite sides thereof; an

farm on the seatsextending inwardly betweenthe projecting end portions of .said .coil spring and normally confined therebetween for maintaining the seat inFa neutral position intermediate its lowered and. raised positions, said springs end portions being respectively yieldableto move with .said arm "during the respective manual raising andlowering movementsof the seat and being respectively adapted to press against said arm 1onropposite sides thereof for returning the arm andzthe seat'totheir neutral positions, said. stud 4. In "a chair structure: a pair of standards having horizontal web portions with vertical openingsntherein; seat brackets having horizontal'. -portiors; with. vertical openings therein;

Piastening im'eans passing vertically through. the opening .in-each standards web portion and through theopeningxin a seat bracket forseouring a bracket to each standard; trunnions on :s'aidseat brackets extending mutually in.-

vi -wily: '18, seat: comprising 'a seat cushionrmountie ,uponran-enclosedseat pan, said span having its-opposite sidewallsajournalled on said trunnions andsaid'side walls having-aligned arcuate slots concentric with said. trunnions; studs on rbrackets extending .=mutually inwardly through said slots andadapted to engage the semis :of [the slots :for limiting swinging =movementstof the seaton the trunnions to positions whereinthe seat is lowered for occupancy or raised for non-occupancy; spring means disposed within the seat pan and interconnecting the seat and a stud for normally urging the seat upwardly from its lowered position and downwardly from its raised position so that the normal position of said seat is intermediate said lowered and raised positions.

5. In a chair structure: a pair of standards having horizontal web portions with vertical openings therein; seat brackets having horizontal portions with vertical openings therein; fastening means passing vertically through the opening in each standards web portion and through the opening in a seat bracket for securing a bracket to each standard; trunnions on said seat brackets extending mutually inwardly; a seat having its opposite side walls journalled on said trunnions and said side walls having aligned arcuate slots concentric with said trunnions; studs on said brackets extending mutually inwardly through said slots and adapted to engage the ends of the slots for limiting swinging movements of the seat on the trunnions to positions wherein the seat is lowered for occupancy or raised for non-occupancy; coil spring surrounding said trunnions each having projecting end portions normally pressing against the adjacent stud on opposite sides thereof; arms on the seat extending inwardly between the projecting end portions of said coil springs respectively and normally confined therebetween for maintaining the seat in a neutral position intermediate its lowered and raised positions, each springs endportions being respectively yieldable to move with the adjacent arm.

6. In a chair structure: a pair of standards; a seat comprising a seat pan having upstanding side walls provided with horizontally aligned circular bearing openings and arcuate slots therethrough concentric with said openings; truna'asatee nions extending from the exterior of the pan mutually inwardly through said bearing openings and providing horizontally aligned bearings upon which the seat is journalled for turning movement; studs extending from the exterior of the pan mutually inwardly through said arcuate slots; means preventing withdrawal of the trunnions and the studs outwardly through the bear-e ing openings and the arcuate slots; seat brackets 'at'o'pposite sides of the seat pan to which brackets the outer ends of the trunnions and studs are rigidly connected, said seat brackets being adapted for removable attachment to the standards respectively; and said studs being adapted to engage the ends of the arcuate slots for limiting turning movements of the seat on the trunnions to positions wherein the seat is lowered for occupancy or raised for non-occupancy.

'7. In a chair structure: a pair of standards; a seat comprising a seat pan having upstanding side walls provided with horizontally aligned circular bearing openings and arcuate slots therethrough concentric with said openings; trunnions extending from the exterior of the pan mutually inwardly through said bearing openings and proed for removable attachment to the standards respectively; and said studs being adapted to engage the ends of the 'arcuate slots 'for limiting turning movements of the seat on the trlmnions to positions wherein the seat is lowered for occupancy or raised for non-occupancy; and spring means for normally urging the seat upwardly from its lowered position.

'8. A structure according to claim 2 characterized by a tie-bar connecting the inner end of each trunnion with the inner end of the adjacent stud. 9. A structure according to claim 2 characterized by having each trunnion and the adjacent stud constituted by the legs of a U-shaped member the inner bight portion of which connects said trunnion and said stud and the leg extremi- "ties of which are secured to the adjacent seat bracket.

WALTER E. NORDMARK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

